Macarons (IMBB 10)

I have never been to Paris, but when I eventually go there someday, I plan to visit the renowned pâtisseries of Pierre Hermé and Ladurée to try out all their macarons.

Without a doubt, macarons are my favourite type of cookie. And since Jennifer of the Domestic Goddess has proclaimed cookies to be the theme for this month's Is My Blog Burning?, I chose to make three flavours of macarons: Matcha-Chestnut, Caramel-Fleur de Sel, and Toasted Sesame.

Macarons (not to be confused with coconut macaroons) are characterized by their smooth and paper-thin, dome-shaped shell. Underneath is a chewy, cake-like layer, and underneath that, is a ruffled skirt called the feet. Macarons are simply made from egg whites, ground almonds and icing sugar, and they're often sandwiched together with a spread of buttercream or jam. The result is a 'cookie' that gives an initial crunch before slowly melting in your mouth.

The Matcha-Chestnut macaron is my take on Pierre Hermé's Marron et Thé Vert Matcha macaron, which I first read about on Chocolate and Zucchini. Based on Clotilde's description, I added some chestnut paste to the macaron batter, and sandwiched the macarons with matcha green tea buttercream, and chestnut buttercream. While I can't guarantee that my version tastes anything like M. Hermé's, the rich chestnut flavours complemented the slightly bitter green tea very nicely.

The Caramel-Fleur de Sel macaron is based on another of Pierre Hermé's creations. It's a sweet and savoury combination between the butter caramel filling, and a few crystals of intense Fleur de Sel (salt) that garnish the macaron. Surprisingly, the combination works, although I found it to be a bit unusual.

I chose to use white sesame seeds as my final flavour because I love their nutty aroma. I've simply added toasted and finely ground sesame seeds to the macaron batter, and untoasted, ground sesame to the buttercream. While this was the simplest of the three flavours, its wonderful aroma made it my favourite.

The secret to making good macarons is to stir the batter to just the right consistency. Stir too little, and your macarons won't have feet and will have a peak on their tops. But stir too much, and you'll end up with flat, cracked, tough and chewy macarons. The best way to check for the correct consistency is to test if peaks in the batter quickly dissolve. I've also read that the batter should be mixed just until it 'flows like magma.' After the macarons have been piped, it's important to let them rest until they've formed a skin.

Thanks once again to my fellow Torontonian, Jennifer for hosting IMBB 10, her second event in less than 10 days!

Matcha-Chestnut Macarons

- 1 recipe macaron batter
- 3 ½ tbsp chestnut paste or crème de marrons
- 2 tsps matcha green tea powder
- 1 recipe Italian buttercream

Macarons: Follow the directions for the macaron batter, and mix in 1½ tbsps of chestnut paste after adding the icing sugar to the meringue.

Buttercream: Before refrigerating the buttercream, equally divide it into two bowls, and mix the remaining chestnut paste into one bowl, and matcha green tea powder into the other.

Assembly: When piping the buttercream onto the macarons, pipe one type of buttercream on each macaron, and carefully sandwich the macarons together.

Makes 20 macarons.

Caramel-Fleur de Sel Macarons

- 1 recipe macaron batter
- 1 recipe butter caramel
- 1 tsp fleur de sel

Follow the directions for the macaron batter.  Pipe butter caramel onto one half of the finished macarons, and carefully sandwich together.  Top each macaron with a pinch of fleur de sel.

Makes 20 macarons.

Toasted Sesame Macarons

- 4 tbsps and 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 recipe macaron batter
- 1 recipe Italian buttercream

Macarons: In a skillet over medium heat, toast 2 tbsps of sesame seeds until golden brown.  Use a food processor or coffee mill to finely grind the seeds, and push through a fine sieve or tamis. Follow the directions for the macaron batter, and mix in the sesame seeds when combining the icing sugar and almond flour.

Buttercream: Use a food processor or coffee mill to finely grind 2 tbsps sesame seeds, and push through a fine sieve or tamis. Before refrigerating the buttercream, mix the sesame into the buttercream.

Assembly: Pipe sesame filling onto one half of the finished macarons, and carefully sandwich together.  Top each macaron with a few sesame seeds.

Makes 20 macarons.

Macaron Batter

- 1 ¼ cups icing sugar
- 4 oz (1 cup) almond flour or finely ground almonds
- ¼ cup plus 2 tbsps egg whites at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar

Allow egg whites to thicken by leaving them uncovered at room temperature overnight.

On three pieces of parchment, use a pencil to draw 1-inch (2.5 cm) circles about 2 inches apart. Flip each sheet over and place each sheet on a baking sheet.

Push almond flour through a tamis or sieve, and sift icing sugar. Mix the almonds and icing sugar in a bowl and set aside. If the mixture is not dry, spread on a baking sheet, and heat in oven at the lowest setting until dry.

In a large clean, dry bowl whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip to stiff peaks – the whites should be firm and shiny.

With a flexible spatula, gently fold in icing sugar mixture into egg whites until completely incorporated. The mixture should be shiny and ‘flow like magma.’ When small peaks dissolve to a flat surface, stop mixing.

Fit a piping bag with a 3/8-inch (1 cm) round tip. Pipe the batter onto the baking sheets, in the previously drawn circles. Tap the underside of the baking sheet to remove air bubbles. Let dry at room temperature for 1 or 2 hours to allow skins to form.

Bake, in a 160C/325F oven for 10 to 11 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar, and rotate the baking sheet after 5 minutes for even baking.

Remove macarons from oven and transfer parchment to a cooling rack. When cool, slide a metal offset spatula or pairing knife underneath the macaron to remove from parchment.

Pair macarons of similar size, and pipe about ½ tsp of the filling onto one of the macarons. Sandwich macarons, and refrigerate to allow flavours to blend together. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

Italian Buttercream
(adapted from The American Boulangerie by Pascal Rigo)

- 2 egg whites (60 mL)
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 oz (½ cup) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into slices

In an electric mixer bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.  Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and heat the mixture, whisking often, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it feels warm and sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the bowl to the electric mixer and whip warm egg mixture on high speed using the whisk attachment until stiff and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the butter, one slice at a time, and continue to mix until all the butter is thoroughly incorporated.  Add any flavourings and refrigerate for 1 hour or until it becomes firm.  The buttercream can be kept, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Comments

[Seattle Bon Vivant]

Clement! As someone who has enjoyed too many of Monsieur Hermé's creations I have to say your choice of cookie and photography are just brilliant! Your macaroons look no different than his and I just wish I could get on a plane to Toronto to try yours right now. Brava! Clement, really, you must go to Paris soon. And write a book next. :-)

[Jennifer]

Clement, I am drooling...your macarons look so melt-in-your-mouth fantastic that I want one. PLEASE???

Thanks so much for joining in on the cookie swap!

[Angela]

Wow, Clement!! I think my favourite would have to be the Caramel-Fleur De Sel; I love the idea of sweet and savoury macarons. Very imaginative and beautiful photography as always!!

[Zarah Maria]

Those pictures are so pretty I want to cry! And drool... mostly drool, heh!

[Jenny]

your pictures always look so gorgeous. i have to make sure i don't read your blog when i'm hungry.

btw, what do you do w/ all the left over egg yolk?

[Carolyn]

Clement--what lovely macaroons--now I see why they carry such pride of place in Massialot. Thank you for the idea and such variety!

[Cathy]

Clement - your cookies are absolutely gorgeous! Like Angela, I'm most tempted by the Caramel-Fleur de Sel combination - I love salty and sweet together. I have a dumb question - is icing sugar the same as confectioner's sugar?

[Pim]

Clement,

Your macarons are gorgeous, simply gorgeous. After my madness with Madeleines last year I thought I would try Macarons next, but have been too busy I just haven't managed to yet. Seeing how complicated they are perhaps it was for the best!

cheers,
Pim

[chika]

Hi Clement,
I have had so many bad, chewy masses of what they claim as French "macarons", and I hate those as much as I love good ones... and your macarons truly look awesome and sound absolutely yummy, all of the three flavors. Great job!

[Clement]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I'm very glad that my macarons turned out well this time. Now if I could only figure out how to make Pierre Hermé's famous Ispahan macaron!

Viv – Paris is definitely on the top of my list of places to visit. As for the book - I hadn't even thought about that, but hopefully someday!

Jennifer - We should do a real cookie swap sometime, since we live in the same city. Thanks once again for hosting; your round up is terrific.

Angela - Your post about making chocolate macarons in February inspired me to try them myself.

Zarah Maria – Thanks, I'm looking forward to SHF 3 in a few weeks.

Jenny - I used the yolks to make ginger ice cream, but they would be great for any custard - crème brulée, crème anglaise, pastry cream...

Carolyn - Thanks, I didn't know macarons held such prestige in Massialot. I should really learn more about their history.

Cathy - This was the first time I made a savoury cookie, and I'm surprised it tasted good. You're right; confectioner's sugar is the same as icing sugar.

Pim - You should definitely try making macarons sometime. They're fairly straightforward (only three ingredients plus flavourings); all that's needed is a bit of precision. I've been meaning to try my hand at madeleines for sometime now. As soon as I get a mold, I’ll try your recipe!

Chika - I know what you mean, I've come across a few bad ones myself - including one place that used raw macaron batter for the filling!

[megwoo]

Your site is so beautiful (I just found it) and your food pictures are amazing. You make it look so easy, that I'm going to have to try my hand at making Macarons!

[Clement]

Thanks Meg, you have a very nice site too. Definitely give macarons a try sometime.. they're well worth the effort.

[mindy]

Holy Macaron!! You r absolutely amazing!! Can you please open up a macaron shop NOW in san diego (where i live) so i can buy them from you EVERY day and be transported to heaven! Mon Dieu!

[Kaori]

Your food pictures are amazing. Do you do your own food photography? If yes, what sort of training did you take and what equipment do you use?

[gerald]

what did you do with all the egg yolks left over?
that seems like another exciting post.

[Clement]

Hi Karoi - Thanks for visiting and sorry for my very slow reply. Yes, I take my own photos, but I don't have any training and I just use a point and shoot digital camera (Canon S230). If you're interested, here's a description of my setup.

[Clement]

Hi Gerald - I think I used the leftover egg yolks to make ginger ice cream. But they would work great for any French custard - crème brulée, crème caramel, crème anglaise, pastry cream etc.

[Allison]

Clement,
I love macarons but I don't often see them in pastry shops. Are there any bakeries in the US that mass produce them?

[Clement]

Hi Allison - I believe that several Whole Foods grocery stores have recently begun selling macarons. Personally, I find that macarons become too chewy after 3 or 4 days, so any mass production would require a very fast time to market, or use preservatives. Only a few French bakeries/patisseries in Canada sell macarons as well. Hopefully more places will start selling them as they become more popular.

[Mel]

Hello
Help! While my macarons taste lovely....they seem to be on the delicate side. They seem to be part chewy & part air so they crush easily (& a bit messily)when bitten. I've left the egg whites out for 24 hours & have even tried 2/3 left overnight & 1/3 fresh, I continue to experience air pockets in my cookies (I do tap down on the pan to get rid of any air bubbles). Externally, they look good: frilly feet, nice dome that is like an egg shell when you bite into it. I just can't seem to figure out why they are so delicate vs firm & chewy. When you pipe your cookies, do they hold their form for the most part or are they more likely to spread a bit? Perhaps I'm overbeating my eggs and incorporating too much air but I've experienced a lack of rising when I tried to underbeat a bit...Any advise would be appreciated!!! THX!!!

[stef]

this looks absolutely fabulous, will have to try sometime! i have not had macarons in FOREVER.

[Michelle]

Your macarons are amazing. I live in Paris and have been trying to master the macarons and have made two batches, one with your recipe and somehow they turn out to be more like a meringe than a macaron. It is not smooth, and light like macarons are supposed to be, nor shiny at the top. Mine also don't have the feet at the bottom of the macarons like the ones from Ladureé or Lenotre. Can you give me some advice?

[Clement]

Hi Mel - Occasionally I have the same problem, where there is a huge air pocket underneath the macaron shell. While I'm not certain of the cause, I think it's likely due to an unstable meringue which has collapsed, leaving only a hollow shell. I've written a few tips below that may be of use. My best guess is that your problem is related to getting the batter to the correct consistency. When I pipe my macarons, they generally hold their shape, but any peaks left by the piping tip should dissolve on their own. Most often, I get hollow macarons when I make them too small, so also check that the macarons aren't being overcooked to the point where the meringue inside collapses.

Thanks Stef - definitely give them a try sometime!

Hi Michelle - here are a few keys to making good macarons:

- passing the almond flour through a drum sieve/tamis with a medium-fine mesh helps to turn it into an very fine consistency, and gets rid of any lumps. Using a small metal offset spatula to push it through works great. If you use a normal sieve, it can take forever (but it'll still work).

- make sure that your almond flour is very dry (heat it at a low temperature in the oven if it's not).

- use fresh egg whites that have been left uncovered at room temperature for at least a day. This makes them a bit thicker in consistency, and creates a firmer meringue.

- it's very important to get your batter to the right consistency before piping. You'll know it's right when you dip your finger into the batter and the peak that forms has fully dissolved within 30 seconds. Also be careful that you don’t deflate it too much.

- it's also very important to let your macarons dry for 1 to 2 hrs after piping, so that during baking, the body of the macaron will puff up, but the outer surface will have the strength to withstand the pressure from below and will not crack. The feet are just a by product of the hardened shell breaking away from the baking sheet in one piece.

I hope I've answered your question, but please let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

[fanny]

Actually i love macaroons too, but as i live in Nice and as long as we dont have Ladurée over there i ketp fantazing about thei macaroons. Recently i had to go to Paris for exams and i finally tried the Ladurée macaroons : they're not as good as i thought they'd be. I've been very very disapointed : the one i do as so much better.
Love
Fanny

[nantana]

Hi :I Have been admiring this post for sometime. I do like macarons and yours look stunning.
Do you just bake at low temp.? I saw Pierre's recipe requiring 425F then reduce. What kind of oven is yours and do you need to double the tray?
I made these. I got the feet but very thin crust. Now i got the crust but the feet is gone. ( actually the feet came out, then top started to crack and once it was out of the oven it flopped, still domed top but the feet were gone.
Poor me. If you could scrutinize my case, i would be happy to hear.
Thanks